Musical Influences and the Start of a Journey: My Top 100 Songs (100-91)

So today marks the beginning of a series of blogs that I will be doing on my Top 100 songs of all time. I've been listening to music since my ears worked, and music has been a major part of my life since I can even remember. My mother was a piano teacher and I was taking piano lessons at age 6. Over the years I've been involved with various bands as a drummer, bassist, keyboardist and whatever else they needed me for. In a given year I absorb more music than almost anyone I know. Music has always been my passion, I love it, and I don't know how I would get along without it. To give you a clue of how important it is to me, I would give up my video game collection before I would give up my music collection. No lie.

I draw a lot of my musical influences from bands that other people have introduced to me over the years. My dad loved a lot of rock and new wave from the 80s, as well as classic rock from the 70s. My sister loves tripped-out alternative rock (she was the one that introduced me to Radiohead originally) and I picked up a lot of my rock and metal influence from the radio stations where I grew up. I hope you agree with some of my musical selections, and I really hope I can help introduce you to a few bands that you've never heard of as well. Let's begin.

100. Crowded House - Don't Dream it's Over (Crowded House, 1986)

It's really too bad that this wasn't my favorite song of all-time. The title would be a bit ironic.

99. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache (The End of Heartache, 2004)

As a metal head, you can consider Killswitch Engage one of my guilty pleasures. I realize they're the most mainstream metal band ever, but they have a few decent songs. This is one of them (and the song that broke them into the mainstream scene).

98. Queensryche - Jet City Woman (Empire, 1990)

You probably know Queensryche through Silent Lucidity. I like this song better. And if you're wondering, it's pronounced queens-rike.

97. Journey - Separate Ways (Frontiers, 1983)

Everytime I hear someone karaoke Don't Stop Believin' I want to commit murders, but this song is still ok.

96. Pearl Jam - Jeremy (Ten, 1991)

In my opinion, the best song Pearl Jam has ever or will ever write. (There is some kind of weird techno thing at the beginning on this video for like 2 seconds.) The lyrics are the highlight of this song, mostly because you can actually understand what Eddie Vedder is saying for once.

95. Powerman 5000 - Nobody's Real (Tonight the Stars Revolt, 2000)

Scary monsters, and super beasts. The more you dream, the less you sleep.

One of the only songs that you will see on this entire list by either a female artist, or an R&B artist at all. Lauryn Hill is very raggae influenced, and I just find the lyrics uplifting.

93. Lenny Kravitz - Always on the Run (Mama Said, 1991)

You may write off Lenny because he's a pop singer, but this guy has ever done he's written and recorded almost every instrument that you hear on his albums. Plus, the guitar solo in this song is done by Slash. 'Nuff said.

92. The Offspring - Gotta Get Away (Smash, 1994)

The guitar and drums mesh so well in this song. Nobody does it quite like The Offspring.

91. Mad Season - River of Deceit (Above, 1995)

If you've never heard of these guys, it's a supergroup made up of members of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. It sounds completely different than anything either of those bands ever came out with though. Now that I think back on it, I should've rated this song a little higher. It's mellow, but great.